Lightning-arrester.



PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

' M. BERRY.

LIG'HTNING ARRESTER.

APPLIOA'IIQN PILED oc''. la. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l I x x 0 W !TNESSES A TTORNE YS PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908.

APPLIOATION FILBD 0CT.18.1906.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

i W/TNESSES:

. A TTORNE 1 5 :and Without danger of crossing,

MILLARD BERBY, OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented March 31, 1908.

Application filed. October 18, 1906. Serial No. 339,567.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLARD BERRY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fayetteville, in the County of Washington and State ofArkansas, have invented a new and useful Lightning-Arrester, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to lightning arresters for electricalinstruments, and is intended more especially for the protection oftelephones and telephone ;switchboards The principal object of theinvention is to provide an arrester which may be conveniently andeconomically used as part of a distributing board, and which is of suchconstruction as to permit ready connection `of the cable or line wires,the common return wires and ground wires, as well as the jumper wires,bridle wires or cross-connecting wires, from the rear face of theinsulating' base of the arrester, and is intended for use on anyconvenient form of lightning arrester mounted on a base of porcelain,slate, glass, rubber, fiber or other insulating material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lightning arrestermounted on a base, or block of nonconducting material, and provided atthe front with means for diverting static or other dangerous currents ofelectricity, especially of lightning and currents induced thereby, tothe ground, and provided at the rear face of the insulating base withbinding posts, clips, screws or other suitable connections to which thewires may be secured.

A still further object of the invention is to im )rove the efficenoy andconvenience of the lightning arrester, and to adapt the same for use asa combined protector and cross connecting device on a distrbuting board,or rack, in any central telephone office using either full metalliccircuits, common return circuits or grounded circuits, or anycombination thereof on the same board or rack.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a new, novel,convenient and useful means for compactly connecting the line wires, theline carbon blocks, and the fuses or fuse strips, in series on the samebase and without the necessity of enlarging the base,

shorting or grounding the lines or circuits at the arrester, which isaccomplished in this invention by placing binding posts for line wireson the back, or rear face of the insulating base of the arrester, andmaking the cir cuits thence through said base block from its rear faceto and through the line carbon blocks on the front, and thence to andthrough the fuses, all of which is hereinafter more clearly set forth.

With these and other objects in View, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that various changes in form, proporton,size and minor details of the structure may be made without departingfrom the spirit, or sacrificng any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawingsz-Figure l is a perspective View, lookingfrom the front of a lightning arrester constructed, arranged andassembled in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional planview of the same, and the arrester in reversed position. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view of the arrester. Fg. 4 is an elevation lookingfrom the rear of the block after the same has been attached to the frameof a distributing rack. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the wiring for a fullmetallic circuit.

, Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As adapted for use on a distributing or cross-connecting board or rack,combined with its use as a protector against lightning or other currentsof electricity of either high or low potential dangerous to the coilsand wires of a telephone switchboard, the main parts of the lightningarrester are supported on a suitable base plate, 10, that is formed ofporcelain or other non-conducting material, there being one of thesearresters for each incoming subscriber s circuit, or for each drop ontheswitch board. Each base plate is secured by screws or otherwise to aVertically disposed'bar, 11, that preferably is formed of Wood, 'thoughit may be of any suitable non-conducting material, which bar, 11, and asmany others as needed to hold the required number of arrestersconstitute a part of the distrbuting board, the bars 11 eing fastened tothe frame of the distributing board so that they may be adjustedlaterally to accommodate the lacing, or 'Ffanning out of cables ofvarious sizes. The vertical strip or bar 11 is comparatively narrow, sothat it will engage with only a portion of the rear face of the base 10,leaving a relatively large surface area at either side ot' the strip 11,to which exposed surface areas are attached, and from which project,binding posts 15, 16 and 17 on one side of the strip, and a singlebinding post 18, on the other side of the strip, these binding posts, orsimilar connections so placed on the rear face of the base plate servingto engage the various conductors hereinafter described.

At the front of the insulating base 10, are arranged the usual number ofspring clips which serve as supports for carbon plates 20, 21, and 22.One end of the central plate 21 which is somewhat longer than the otherplates as such arresters are now made, is in engagement or contact withclip 23, that is connected to a wire 24, as shown in Fig. 5, extendingalong and connected to`the corresponding clips on all of the arresterson the bar 11, and running to the ground, this clip 23 beingelectrically connected through the base plate 10 to the binding post 16,through which the return side of the circuit from the switchboard may begrounded most conveniently by connecting post 17 and post 16 across therear face of the base plate when the arrester is being used in agrounded circuit. The opposite end of the carbon plate 21 is held inplace by a spring clip 26,

that is to be connected to all of the similar clips carried by one ofthe bars 11, and to the proper common return wire where the telephonesystem is provided with 'one or more common return wires for either allor any number of the circuits. This clip 26 is electrically connected tothe rear binding post 18 on the back of the base plate 10' by aconducting connection passing through the base, and to which post 18 thereturn side of the circuit from the switchboardmay be connected if thearrester is to be installed in any circuit using a common return wire,the said return side of the circuit from the switch board first passingto 48, the circuit continuing thence to 41, 43, through fuse to 38,spring clip 34, carbon 22, spring clip 33, and thence to post 17, andthence to post 18 either by way of a jumper and clip 61 or directlyacross the back of the same arrester to post 18, or to any other postconnecting to the roper common return wire by means of brid e wires orcross connecting wires, the necessary cross connecting wires being runto the various common return. wires of the system, should there be morethan one common return wire, a multiplicity of independent, separate anddistinct common return wires being possible, practical and convenient inconnection with this invention, and is advisable in practice as aprecaution against cross talk and other disturbances incident to acongested common return. It is here observed that this arrester isprovided with a plurality of connecting means, and circuits which may bethereby formed within itself so that a single type of arrester may beused for all metal or full metallic circuits, grounded circuits, orcommon return circuits, or any combination thereof.

To make the foregoing connections possible With the style of arrestershown on the drawings submitted, the clip 26 is held from electricalcontact with the central or ground carbon plate 21, by means of a stripof insulating material 29, formed of nica or other suitable material, toprevent grounding the common return wire Where it is desirable to use anentirely aerial return. The carbon plates 20 and 22 are held 'fromelectrical contact with the central ground plate 21 by the usual methodof inserting narrow, thin strips of mica between them while thecarbonplate 20 is pressed in the direction of the central plate 21 by means ofthe spring clips 31 and 32, while clip 31 according to my invention iselectrically connected through the base of the arrester to bindin post15 located on the rear face of the base p late. The lower carbon22 ispressed toward the central plate 21 by means of the usual pair of springclips 34 and 35, of which the ch) 34 according to my invention iselectrically connected through the base of the arrester to binding post17 located on the rear face of the base plate. The clips 32 and 33 arealso provided with the usual fuse holding screws 37 and 38 respectively,for holding what is known as the Postal style of fuse, although for thescrews the usual shackles or spring clamps for holding what is known asthe Western Union fuse may be substituted, or any holderfor securing anyother fusible device may be substituted.

At the front of the base plate is arranged a pair of metallic platesshown on the drawings as 40 and 41, carrying the usual fuse holdingscrews shown as 42 and 43, or the shackles or clamps or other fuseholding de- Vice which are connected by fuses 45 and 46 respectively, tosimilar fuse holding screws 37 and 38, shackles, clamps or such otherfuse holding device as may be preferred. These plates 40 and 41 arefurther provided with binding screws 47 and 48 to which the wires of theswitchboard cable or the cable connecting the switchboard with thedistributing board may be fanned out and numbered, the two wires formingeach circuit or line being connected to the plates by means of thebinding screws 47 and 48 and thence through fuses 45 and 46 to springclips 32 and 34 and thence to and through carbons 20 and 22 to springclips 31 and 33 and thence through base of arrester to binding posts 15and 17 and thence to the desired line, common return, or groundconnections by means of cross-connecting wires from binding posts&33,280

i clip 31, thence to and through carbon block 20, clip 32, fuse 45,plate 40, switchboard conductor 105 to the switchboard, and back 'fromthe switchboard over conductor 106, a second plate 41, fuse 46, clip 34,carbon late 22, clip 33, binding ost 17, one end. o'l clip 6] on barllimmedately in the rear of the arrester and out through wire 101, eachside of the circuit connecting the line carbon blocks 20 and 22 inseries with the fuse named, so that any currentof high potential such asthat generated by a lightning stroke, encountering the counterelectro-motive force generated by the switchboard instruments Will passfrom the block 20 or 22 to the block 21 over the intervening gap formedby the mica plate 30 and thence to the ground since, as is well known,the resistance offered by such gap to the high potential currentsgenerated by lightning strokes is far less than that offered by thecounter electro-motive :force of the instruments protected. Should,however, a heavy current, such as might come from the crossing of alighting circuit with the telephone circuits, pass, the instruments willbe protected by the fuse 45 or 46. further, a simple means forconnecting the street or leading in cables or wires with any desiredlightning arrester in the system and its corresponding switchboard drop,and. the return side of the switchboard drop to any desired commonreturn wire in the system or to the ground, all by means of removableand changeable bridle wires, jum er or cross connecting wires, allwithin t ie limit of the space occupied by the rear faces of all thearresters installed; and 'for this purpose metallic. clips of anysuitable design, or two-Way binders shown on drawings as 60 and 61, aresecured in pairs to the rear face of the bar 1.1, there being a pair ofsuch clips, or binders,

for and at the rear of, each lightning arrester.

When an all metal circuit is used in the system the street, orleading-in cable is fanned out so that a pair of conductors will be con-'nected to one side of the clips 60 and 61,

While the opposite ends of the cli s 60 and 61 are to be connected tothe binding posts 15 and 17, or they may be connected to thecorresponding binding posts on the back of any other lightning arresteron the distributing board hearing the number it is desired to give theSubscriber, thus simplifying the switchboard connections and the processof connecting any incoming line to any desired number on theswitchboard, the lightning distributing board, frame or' This invention,however, contemplates' `arresters on the distributing 'board beingnumbered consecutively and connected to corresponding numbers on. theswitchboard.

When it is desired to use a grounded line, the line wire leading in fromthe street should be connected to one of the clips only on the rear ofbar 11, the upper, or 60, being referably, while the opposite side ofthe clip 60 may be connected to binding post 15 of any lightningarrester on the system hearing the number which it is desired to givethe subscriber on the ground line being brought in, while post 17 of thesame arrester is connected by jumper wire corres onding to 103 in thedrawings to any groun post 16.

When a common return circuit is being installed, the line wire leadingin from the street would be connected to one of the clips only-on therear of bar 11, the up A er, or 60, being preferable, while the oppositeside of the clip 60 may be connected by wire 102 to binding post 15 ofany lightning arrester on the system hearing the number which it isdesired to give the subscriber on the common return circuit beingbrought in, while post 17 of the same arrester is connected by umperwire corresponding to 103 in the drawings, to any common return post 18connected to the particular common return wire which reaches thesubscriber s station.

The arrangement of the circuit as connected for a full metallic returnis illustrated in Fig. 5. While but one lightning arrester is shown inthis figure, it is to be understood that in ractice several lightningarresters, of which tiere is one for each Subscriber, are mounted on theVertical strips 11., each strip carrying twenty-five, more or less,arresters, and these being arranged in comparatively close relation, sothatbridle or jumper wire connections maybe made between them.

The Construction of the arresters is such that various forms ofconnections may be readily made. For instanc'e for a full metalliccircuit between the Subscriber and the switchboard, the wires of thestreet cable will be fanned out, and the two wires belonging to anygiven Subscriber will be soldered or otherwise connected to the clips 60and 61. These two Wires are d esignated 100 and 101 in the presentinstance, in order that the circuit may be traced. Each of the blocksbears a number, but if the number of the block to which the straightwires are connected is not the same as the subscriber s switch boardnumber, jumper wire connections must be used to connect the block` tothe one hearing a number corresponding to Two wires, therefore, are ledfrom the clips 60 and 61, the wire 102 being connected to the upper clipand extending to the binding post 15 of the block hearing the properswtchboard number, while wire 103 extends between the clip 61' and thebinding post 17. At this switch board block the switchboard cable isfanned out and the two wires 105 and 106 belonging to the Subscriber areconnected, respectively, to the screws 47 48. This comp etes a circuitwhich may be traced from the subscriber s leading-in wire 100 to clip60, jumper 102, binding post 15, clip 31, carbon block 20, clip 32, fusescrew connection 37, the fuse, fuse screw connection 42, its base plate40, binding screw 47, wire 105, to the switchboard. The return wire 106'from the switchboard leads to screw 48, base plate 41, fuse screwconnection 43, the fuse, clip 34, carbon block 22, the clip 33, bindingpost 17,

3 jumper wire 103, clip 61, to the wire 101 of the street cable, thuscompleting a full metallic circuit.

If the number of the block to which the street cable is connected shouldcorrespond to the subscribefis switchboard number, a shorter j umperwire connections are simply made between the cli s 60-61 and posts and17 of the same b ock. The line is protected in this case by theconnection between the centralcarbon block 24 and the clip 23 or 26.Either one of these clips is connected directly to ground, and eithermay be used as a common return for other Wiring systems, in whichinstance the insulating strip 29 is placed between it and the end of thecarbno block.

If the subscriber s line is on a common return and only one wire comesin from the street cable that wire, 100, is connected to I the upperclip 60, the lower cli 61 not being the wire 102 from the opposite endof the clip to the binding post 15 on the rear face of the arrester ofthe proper number, and this completes the circuit in the mannerheretofore described to the wire 105 of the switchboard cable to theswitchboard, thence back through wire 106 from the switchboard to thebinding post 17, from whence a jumper or cross connecting wire leads toany bindng post 18 which latter, in this instance, is connected to thecommon return wire, while the clip 23 of this binding post is insulatedfrom the carbon block 21 of the arrester, the clip 26, in this instance,being grounded. Again the subscriber s wire which comes in from thestreet cable may be a ground circuit in which case only one line wire100 is connected to the clip 60 as before described, clip 61 not beingused. This subscriber s wire is connected to the proper arrestercorresponding to his switchboard number, and the circuit is completed tothe switchboard in the manner before described through Wires 105, 106,fuses, etc., back to the binding post 17. A j umper wire is then runthrough the binding post 17 to the ground post 16 on the rear &83,280

face of the same arrester, this post being connected to ground as beforedescribed.

This lightning arrester is particularly adapted for use in connectionwith telephone switchboards since no change in the leading in wires isnecessary and much time may be saved in making the necessary connectionsand changes of connections which Will occur from time to time as theSubscribers change. No claim is made generally to the use of thethree-block type of lightning arrester or to the use of fuses for takingcare of heavy Currents in connection with a lightning arrester of thetype necessary for protecting the instruments against alternatingcurrents of high potential such as generated by lightning discharges.By, however, mounting such protecting device upon one side of theinsulating base and carrying the circuit-terminal-receiving means outfrom the other side of the base all the circuit-receiving terminals aremade readily accessible, so that while means are provided for protectingthe instruments from damage various changes of circuit may be madewithout trouble.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a base plate ofinsulating material, an insulating strip to which said base plate issecured and from each side of which the base plate projects, a lightningarrester carried by said base plate on the side remote from the strip,connections' between the terminals of the lightning arrester through andto the rear of the base plate, wire connecting means forming theterminals of said connections, and wire clips carried by the insulatingstrip at a point adjacent to the rear of the base plate.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a distributing board frameincluding a vertically disposed strip of insulating material, a baseplate also formed of insulating material andsecured to the front of thestrip and having end portions of its rear face projecting beyond theedges of said strip, metallic clips Secured to the front of the baseplate, wire connecting means accessible from the rear face of the baseplate and connected to said clips, other metallic clips Secured to thefront of the base plate, fuse connections carried by said last-namedclips on the front of the base plate, other fuse connections alsocarried on the front of the base plate, a plurality of carbon blocksheld in place by the clips and insulated from each other, and wire clipscarried by the insulating strip at a point adjacent to the rear of thebase plate.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a baseplate of insulatingmaterial, a set of carbon blocks thereon insulated one from the other,metallic clips engaging the ends of one of the blocks and located nearthe ends of the base plate, wire receiving means 011 the rear face ofthe base plate near the ends thereof &33,280

and electrically connected through the base plate to the clips, a pairof clips engaging each of the other carbon blocks at points near theends of the respective blocks, one of said clips carrying a fusesupport, a Wire receiving means at the rear face of the block for eachother one of the last-named pairs of clips, said Wire receiving meansbeing electrically connected through the base to the respective clips,and other fuse supports upon the face of the base plate.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a distributing board frameincluding a Vertically disposed strap of insulating material, a baseplate also formed of insulating material and Secured to the front of thestrip and having end portions of its rear face proj ecting beyond theedges of said strip, a plurality of metallic clips Secured to the frontof the base plate, a plurality of carbon blocks held in place by theclips and insulated from each other, Wire connecting means accessiblefrom the rear face of the base plate, and Wire clips carried by theVertically disposed strip at point adjacent to the rear of the baseplate.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of tWo witnesses.

' MILLARD BERRY.

Witnesses W. E. SHARP, THOS. J. DAVIS.

